Monitoring of the optical and 2.5-11.7 mu m spectrum and mid-IR imaging of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 279 with ISO
European Space Research and Technology Centre1, European Southern Observatory2, Harvard University3, University of Arizona4, Ohio State University5, Goddard Space Flight Center6, University of Leicester7, Tel Aviv University8, University of St Andrews9, Space Telescope Science Institute10, Johns Hopkins University11, University of California, Los Angeles12, Isaac Newton Institute13, Shanghai Astronomical Observatory14, European University of Madrid15
01 Apr 2001-Vol. 369, Iss: 1, pp 57-64
TL;DR: In this article, mid-infrared images of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 279 obtained with the ISO satellite are presented together with the results of a one-year monitoring campaign of the 2.5-11.7 mum spectrum.
Abstract: Mid-infrared images of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 279 obtained with the ISO satellite are presented together with the results of a one-year monitoring campaign of the 2.5-11.7 mum spectrum. Contemporaneous optical photometric and spectrophotometric observations are also presented. The galaxy appears as a point-like source at the resolution of the ISOCAM instrument (4-5 "). The 2.5-11.7 mum average spectrum of the nucleus in Mrk 279 shows a strong power law continuum with alpha = -0.80 +/- 0.05 (F nu proportional to nu (alpha)) and weak PAK emission features. The Mrk 279 spectral energy distribution shows a mid-IR bump, which extends from 2 to 15-20 mum The mid-IR bump is consistent with thermal emission from dust grains at a distance of greater than or similar to 100 It-d. No significant variations of the mid-IR flux have been detected during our observing campaign, consistent with the relatively low amplitude (similar to 10% rms) of the optical variability during the campaign. The time delay for H beta line emission in response to the optical continuum variations is tau = 16.7(-5.6)(+5.3), days, consistent with previous measurements.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors summarized almost nine years of key results based on the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) data spanning the full range of luminosity and type of active galaxies including the intriguing but so far elusive ultraluminous infrared galaxies.
Abstract: Some of the most ‘active’ galaxies in the Universe are obscured by large quantities of dust and emit a substantial fraction of their bolometric luminosity in the infrared. Observations of these infrared luminous galaxies with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) have provided a relatively unabsorbed view to the sources fuelling this active emission. The improved sensitivity, spatial resolution and spectroscopic capability of ISO over its predecessor Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) of enabled significant advances in the understanding of the infrared properties of active galaxies. ISO surveyed a wide range of active galaxies which, in the context of this review, includes those powered by intense bursts of star formation as well as those containing a dominant active galactic nucleus (AGN). Mid-infrared imaging resolved for the first time the dust enshrouded nuclei in many nearby galaxies, while a new era in infrared spectroscopy was opened by probing a wealth of atomic, ionic and molecular lines as well as broad band features in the mid- and farinfrared. This was particularly useful, since it resulted in the understanding of the power production, excitation and fuelling mechanisms in the nuclei of active galaxies including the intriguing but so far elusive ultraluminous infrared galaxies. Detailed studies of various classes of AGN and quasars greatly improved our understanding of the unification scenario. Far-infrared imaging and photometry revealed the presence of a new very cold dust component in galaxies and furthered our knowledge of the far-infrared properties of faint starbursts, ULIGs and quasars. We summarise almost nine years of key results based on ISO data spanning the full range of luminosity and type of active galaxies.
56 citations
Cites background from "Monitoring of the optical and 2.5-1..."
...…suggested that the absence or suppression of UIB emission is due to the fact that the dust is predominantly heated by processes related to the central AGN [e.g. in NGC 1068 (Le Floc’h et al., 2001), Circinus (Moorwood, 1999), NGC 4151 (Sturm et al., 1999), Mrk 279 (Santos-Lleó et al., 2001)]....
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...…ISO monitoring of variable AGN, that were contemporaneous to other multiwavelength campaigns, failed to show any convincing thermal variability (e.g. Mrk 279 Santos-Lleó et al., 2001; BL Lac PKS 2155-304 Bertone et al., 2000; BL Lac 2007+777 Peng et al., 2000; OVV quasar 3C 446 Leech et al., 2002)....
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...In intense radiation fields ( 105 times that of the local ISRF) such as in metal poor environments or in the vicinity of super star clusters or AGN, UIBs are weak or absent (Contursi et al., 2000, Thuan et al., 1999, Rigopoulou et al., 1999, Sturm et al., 2000, Santos-Lleó et al., 2001)....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors report new reverberation data based on a unique narrowband-imaging design, and argue that time delays between adjacent optical bands are primarily associated with the reprocessing of light by a farther away under-appreciated non-disk component.
Abstract: Accretion onto black holes is key to their growth over cosmic time1, especially during the active galactic nuclei phase when the inflowing material forms a radiatively efficient accretion disk2. To probe the disk, indirect imaging methods such as reverberation mapping3–6 and microlensing7,8 are required. Recent findings suggest that the disk may be larger than theoretical predictions by a factor of a few4,6,9, thus casting doubt on our understanding of accretion in the general astrophysical context. Whether new physics is implied10–12 or poorly understood biases are in effect5,6,13,14 is a longstanding question. Here, we report new reverberation data based on a unique narrowband-imaging design15, and argue that time delays between adjacent optical bands are primarily associated with the reprocessing of light by a farther away under-appreciated non-disk component. This component is associated with high-density photoionized material that is uplifted from the outer accretion disk, probably by radiation-pressure force on dust, and thus may represent the long-sought origin of the broad-line region16. Our findings suggest that the optical phenomenology of some active galactic nuclei may be substantially affected by non-disk continuum emission with implications for measuring the fundamental properties of black holes and their active environs over cosmic time. New variability data of the accretion disk in active galactic nuclei argue for the existence of a farther away under-appreciated non-disk component associated with high-density photoionized material that is uplifted from the outer accretion disk.
55 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a study of the intrinsic X-ray and far-ultraviolet absorption in the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy Markarian 279 using simultaneous observations from the Chandra Xray Observatory, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) is presented.
Abstract: We present a study of the intrinsic X-ray and far-ultraviolet absorption in the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy Markarian 279 using simultaneous observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). We also present FUSE observations made at three additional epochs. We detect the Fe K-alpha emission line in the Chandra spectrum, and its flux is consistent with the low X-ray continuum flux level of Mrk 279 at the time of the observation. Due to low signal-to-noise ratios in the Chandra spectrum, no O VII or O VIII absorption features are observable in the Chandra data, but the UV spectra reveal strong and complex absorption from HI and high-ionization species such as O VI, N V, and C IV, as well as from low-ionization species such as C III, N III, C II, and N II in some velocity components. The far-UV spectral coverage of the FUSE data provides information on high-order Lyman series absorption, which we use to calculate the optical depths and line and continuum covering fractions in the intrinsic HI absorbing gas in a self-consistent fashion. The UV continuum flux of Mrk 279 decreases by a factor of ~7.5 over the time spanning these observations and we discuss the implications of the response of the absorption features to this change. From arguments based on the velocities, profile shapes, covering fractions and variability of the UV absorption, we conclude that some of the absorption components, particularly those showing prominent low-ionization lines, are likely associated with the host galaxy of Mrk 279, and possibly with its interaction with a close companion galaxy, while the remainder arises in a nuclear outflow.
55 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the standard accretion disk models of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are tested using light curves of 26 objects that have been well observed using reverberation mapping.
Abstract: In this paper, standard accretion disk models of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are tested using light curves of 26 objects that have been well observed using reverberation mapping. Timescales of variations are estimated by the most common definition of the variability timescale and the zero-crossing time of the autocorrelation function of the optical light curves for each source. The timescales of variations measured by the two methods are consistent with each other. If the typical value of the viscosity parameter alpha similar to 0.1 is adopted, the measured optical variability timescales are closest to the thermal timescales of the standard disks. If alpha is allowed to range from similar to 0.03 to similar to 0.2, the measured timescales are consistent with the thermal timescales of the standard disks. There is a linear relation between the measured variability timescales and black hole masses; this linear relation is qualitatively consistent with expectation of the standard accretion disk models. The time lags measured by the z-transformed discrete correlation function (ZDCF) between different bands are on the order of days. The measured time lags of NGC 4151 and NGC 7469 are marginally consistent with the time lags estimated in the case of continuum thermal reprocessing for the standard accretion disk models. However, the measured time lags of NGC 5548 and Fairall 9 are unlikely to be the case of continuum thermal reprocessing. Our results are unlikely to be inconsistent with, or are likely to be conditionally in favor of, the standard accretion disk models of AGNs.
49 citations
Additional excerpts
...…et al. 1997; (4) Rodriguez-Pascual et al. 1997;(5) Stirpe et al. 1994; (6) Peterson et al. 2000; (7) Kaspi et al. 1996; (8) Crenshaw et al. 1996; (9) Santos-Lleo et al. 2001; (10) Wanders & Peterson 1996; (11) the UltraViolet Light Curve Database for AGNs; (12) Dietrich et al. 1998; (13) Carone et…...
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Space Telescope Science Institute1, Johns Hopkins University2, Massachusetts Institute of Technology3, University of Colorado Boulder4, Jet Propulsion Laboratory5, Goddard Space Flight Center6, Weizmann Institute of Science7, University of Wyoming8, Kitt Peak National Observatory9, Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics10
TL;DR: In this paper, the intrinsic X-ray and far-ultraviolet absorption in the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy Markarian 279 using simultaneous observations from the Chandra Xray Observatory, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE).
Abstract: We present a study of the intrinsic X-ray and far-ultraviolet absorption in the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy Markarian 279 using simultaneous observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). We also present FUSE observations made at three additional epochs. We detect the Fe K? emission line in the Chandra spectrum, and its flux is consistent with the low X-ray continuum flux level of Mrk?279 at the time of the observation. Because of low signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) in the Chandra spectrum, no O?VII or O?VIII absorption features are observable in the Chandra data, but the UV spectra reveal strong and complex absorption from H?I and high-ionization species such as O?VI, N?V, and C?IV, as well as from low-ionization species such as C?III, N?III, C?II, and N?II in some velocity components. The far-UV spectral coverage of the FUSE data provides information on high-order Lyman series absorption, which we use to calculate the optical depths and line and continuum covering fractions in the intrinsic H?I absorbing gas in a self-consistent fashion. The UV continuum flux of Mrk?279 decreases by a factor of ~7.5 over the time spanning these observations and we discuss the implications of the response of the absorption features to this change. From arguments based on the velocities, profile shapes, covering fractions and variability of the UV absorption, we conclude that some of the absorption components, particularly those showing prominent low-ionization lines, are likely associated with the host galaxy of Mrk?279, and possibly with its interaction with a close companion galaxy, while the remainder arises in a nuclear outflow.
46 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this article, a method for measuring correlation functions without interpolating in the temporal domain is proposed which provides an assumption-free representation of the correlation measured in the data and allows meaningful error estimates.
Abstract: A method for measuring correlation functions without interpolating in the temporal domain is proposed which provides an assumption-free representation of the correlation measured in the data and allows meaningful error estimates. Physical interpretation of the cross-correlation function of two series believed to be related by a convolution is shown to require knowledge of the input function's fluctuation power spectrum. Application of the method to two systems reveals no correlation for the optical data of Akn 120, but a strong correlation for the UV data of NGC 4151, placing bounds of between 1.2 and 20 light days on the size of the line-emitting region.
1,139 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a procedure is described for analyzing a time series of measurements of both the continuum and the emission lines, and it is shown that if the emission line region has a high degree of symmetry, then it is possible to invert the time-dependent line profiles and obtain the phase space distribution of the emission-line gas.
Abstract: Variations in the strengths of the central photoionization source in a quasar or Seyfert galaxy will generate variations in the strengths and profiles of the emission lines. These ''reverberations'' in the emission lines will lag behind the continuum variations due to light travel time effects. A procedure is described for analyzing a time series of measurements of both the continuum and the lines. This procedure permits direct verification of the assumed causal connection of the lines to the continuum. We demonstrate that if the emission line region has a high degree of symmetry, then it is possible to invert the time-dependent line profiles and obtain the phase space distribution of the emission-line gas: i.e., its emissivity and the moments of its velocity distributions as functions of position. The cases of spherical and disk symmetry are considered in detail; the case of a straight jet, which may be relevent to correlated optical and radio variations, is discussed briefly. Explicit calculations of expected line variations have been carried out for several simple models. We suggest that with recently developed instrumentation it should now be possible to apply this technique to Seyfert galaxies. Long term, highly accurate observations will be required for themore » application to quasars.« less
1,034 citations
"Monitoring of the optical and 2.5-1..." refers methods in this paper
...Reverberation-mapping techniques (Blandford & McKee 1982) have been used extensively to map the BLR in several AGN, on scales of light days to light months, notably by the International AGN Watch1 consortium (Alloin et al. 1994)....
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01 Jun 1988
TL;DR: It is shown that physical interpretation of active galactic nuclei cross-correlation functions requires knowledge of the input function's fluctuation power spectrum, involves model-dependence in the form of symmetry assumptions, and must take into account intrinsic scale bias.
Abstract: A method of measuring correlation functions without interpolating in the temporal domain, the discrete correlation function, is introduced. It provides an assumption-free representation of the correlation measured in the data, and allows meaningful error estimates. This method does not produce spurious correlations at zero lag due to correlated errors. It is shown that physical interpretation of active galactic nuclei cross-correlation functions requires knowledge of the input function's fluctuation power spectrum, involves model-dependence in the form of symmetry assumptions, and must take into account intrinsic scale bias. This technique was used to find a correlation in published IUE data for NGC 4151, which indicates that the broad C IV feature emanates from a shell 15 to 75 light-days in radius, assuming spherical symmetry.
818 citations
"Monitoring of the optical and 2.5-1..." refers methods in this paper
...We used both the interpolation method of Gaskell & Sparke (1986) and the discretecorrelation function (DCF) method of Edelson & Krolik (1988), in both cases employing the specific implementation described by White & Peterson (1994)....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that most of the bright quasars from the Palomar-Green (PG) survey appear to emit the bulk of their luminosity (typically more than 90%) between 3 nm and 300 μm (10.7-10^(18) Hz).
Abstract: Continuum observations from ~0.3 nm to 6 cm (10^(9.7)-10^(18) Hz) are presented for 109 bright quasars from the Palomar-Green (PG) survey. Two-thirds of the quasars have been detected in the infrared at wavelengths
between 10 and 100 μm. All of the PG quasars appear to emit the bulk of their luminosity (typically more than 90%) between 3 nm and 300 μm (10^(12)-10^(17) Hz). The total luminosity at wavelengths longer than 1 μm is typically 20%-40% of that at wavelengths shortward of 1 μm. The gross shape of the energy distributions between 3 nm and 300 μm is remarkably similar for all the quasars except the flat-spectrum radio-loud quasars like 3C 273 and can plausibly be fitted by two broad components of thermal emission. In this interpretation the emission in the spectral range ~ 10 nm to 0.3 μm, the "big blue bump," is dominated by 10,00-100,000 K thermal emission from an accretion disk. The emission between 2 μm and 1 mm, the "infrared bump," is made up of reradiation from dust in a distorted disk extending from 0.1 pc to more than 1 kpc. The fairly small range in the relative sizes of the bumps suggests that the covering factor in most of the PG quasars is similar. There is no obvious connection between the strengths of the blue and infrared peaks and whether or not the quasar is radio quiet or radio loud. The mass
of infrared emitting dust is estimated to be ~0.01 M_☉ at 2 μm and ~ 10^5 M_☉ at 60 μm. The radiation from 0.5 μm is thermal emission from the portion of the disk between 0.1 and 1 pc, illuminated primarily by the clouds of the broad-line region. The radiation from 5 μm to 1 mm is reradiation from a warped disk at distances greater than 1 pc from the central source, which is heated directly by radiation from the central source. Optically thin atomic emission (free-free and partially thermalized lines and bound-free) from gas within 1 pc of the central source, whose dust has sublimated, probably contributes to the flux from 0.5 to 2 μm. We believe that there is no convincing evidence for energetically significant nonthermal radiation in the wavelength range 3 nm to 300 μm in the continua of the radio-quiet and steep-spectrum radio-loud PG quasars.
648 citations
"Monitoring of the optical and 2.5-1..." refers background in this paper
...The presence of a universal inflection point near 1.2µm in the spectral energy distribution of radio-quiet AGN’s strongly suggests that the bulk of the near IR flux arises from dust thermal emission (e.g., Barvainis 1987; Sanders et al. 1989)....
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TL;DR: In this paper, thermal radiation by dust can reproduce the overall shape of the bump seen in the near-infrared continua of many QSOs and AGN, and a simple model in which dust grains are heated by the primary nuclear optical/ultraviolet continuum produces the required emission at short wavelengths.
Abstract: It is shown here that thermal radiation by dust can reproduce the overall shape of the bump seen in the near-infrared continua of many QSOs and AGN. A simple model in which dust grains are heated by the primary nuclear optical/ultraviolet continuum produces the required emission at short wavelengths. The model naturally explains the onset of the bump at about 2 microns. This wavelength corresponds to the optically thin emission peak for the hottest possible grains, i.e., graphite grains at their evaporation temperature near 1500 K. Emission longward of 2 microns is due to cooler grains farther from the central source. 33 references.
644 citations
"Monitoring of the optical and 2.5-1..." refers background in this paper
...The presence of a universal inflection point near 1.2µm in the spectral energy distribution of radio-quiet AGN’s strongly suggests that the bulk of the near IR flux arises from dust thermal emission (e.g., Barvainis 1987; Sanders et al. 1989)....
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